Commentary Par XXVIII 46-57

These four tercets are the protagonist's only words in this sphere, and once again indicate that his intelligence is still earthbound.  See Tozer's recapitulation (DDP Tozer.Par.XXVIII.46-57): 'Dante here states the difficulty which he feels, viz. that, whereas in the world of sense the spheres move more swiftly in proportion to their distance from the centre, i.e., the earth, the celestial circles which he is now contemplating move more swiftly in proportion to their nearness to the centre, i.e., God.  As the latter of these systems is the pattern of the former, it would be natural that they should correspond.'  That is to say, the physics of the highest heavens is counter to expectation; the smallest circle runs fastest, the most distant, slowest, the exact opposite of what the protagonist experienced as he moved upward and outward from the earth.  As Beatrice will explain, that inverse ratio is puzzling only to an earthling; the spiritual physics that she explains is only (super)natural.  See C.Par.XXVIII.25-27.